Montco Dem wants to face Specter in 2010

Torsella, former Philly deputy mayor, offers 'new ideas.'

February 10, 2009|By Josh Drobnyk Of The Morning Call

Philadelphia civic leader Joseph Torsella plans to run for the Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senate in 2010, casting himself as a Washington outsider as he seeks to unseat five-term Republican Sen. Arlen Specter.

Torsella, former chief executive officer of the National Constitution Center, filed paperwork Monday to begin raising and spending money ahead of the spring 2010 primary. He's the first candidate to announce his intention to run against Specter.

"The country's at a really important and perilous moment, where the policies that we've had from Washington, particularly the last eight years, have driven us into a ditch," Torsella, 45, a Montgomery County native, said in an interview.

"The locus of the problem is Washington and the policies that have gotten us into trouble. What I bring to this is a proven record of making government work and creating jobs and implementing new ideas."

A former deputy mayor of Philadelphia for policy and planning, Torsella led development of the National Constitution Center from 1996 to 2003. He returned as chief executive in 2006, stepping down last month.

Torsella said he planned to formally kick off his candidacy "in the weeks ahead," but would begin the tough task of raising money immediately to compete for the nomination.

This will be his second run for office, after losing to U.S. Rep. Allyson Schwartz, D-13th District, in the Democratic primary in 2004 by 4 percentage points.

Torsella said he likes his chances against Specter because "there is a hunger and thirst for new directions and new leadership, and that will make people very receptive to my kind of candidacy."

"What we've been getting from Washington hasn't been working," he said. "It's time for a new approach."

Other Democrats who are considering runs in 2010 include Schwartz; U.S. Rep. Patrick Murphy, 8th District; Auditor General Jack Wagner; and state Rep. Josh Shapiro of Montgomery County.